Game apparatus



Jan. 4, 1938. Y D. c. RocKoLA GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1935 l l n nm I l aoid 6. /Qoflo/a t0 INVENTOR.

BY 7M M HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 4, 1.938l

PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS David C. Rockola, Chicago, Ill., assignerto Rock- Ola Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofDelaware Application December 13, 1935, Serial No. 54,228

8 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved game apparatuswhich is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and enicientin use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel latchingdevice for certain parts of the operating mechanism of a coin controlledamusement Vending apparatus or the like.

An additional object of the invention is to provide, in connection witha coin-controlled machine or apparatus, a novel device for preventing a.second operation of the coin slide before the i operating mechanism oi'the apparatus, which is controlled by the slide, has made a full stroke.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in combinationwith a game apparatus which includes a cabinet, an operating mechanismin the cabinet, a control device for the operating mechanism, and anactuating or coincontrolled member movably mounted vin a wall of thecabinet, means for preventing a second operation of the control device,once the same and the coincontrolled member have been actuated, untilthe operating mechanism, which is controlled by the coin-controlledmember, has made a full or complete operative stroke.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View of a coin-controlled amusement apparatus,partly in section and partly in elevation, showing a preferred form ofthe present invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 C in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a View on line 3-3 in Fig. 1, partly in section and partly intop plan; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of an electrical circuit embodied in theinvention.

A game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention isshown in the drawing, and therein generally indicated at Ill, saidapparatus comprising a cabinet II which includes a wall I2 in which acoin controlled actuating member or coin slide I3 is slidably mounted.

The inner end portion I4 of the coin slide YI3 is engageable with theupper end portion I5 of a member I6, which is pivotally mounted betweenits ends, as at Il, upon an upright supporting wall I9 which is arrangedin the cabinet II, and this member I6 is normally urged, by a spring I8,(clockwise, Fig. 1).

Slidably mounted in the cabinet II, upon the upright support I 9, bymeans of pin and slot connections 29, is a slide bar 2i, and provided inthe bottom edge 22 of the slide bar 2| is a recess or notched portion23. Engageable in the recess or notched portion 23 of the slide bar 2lis a pawl 24 which is pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 25, uponthe upright support I9, this pawl 24 being normally urged into initialposition (as shown in Fig. 1) by meansvof a spring 26.

Attached to, and projecting laterally from, the pawl 24 is an arm 21 andthis arm 21 is engageable with the movable element or contact 28 of acontrol switch 29 which is arranged in the cabinet I I, and which switchmay be used for any desired purpose such, for example, as controllingthe operating mechanism of the game apparatus I0.

Mounted upon the upright support I9 is a dash pot 33, which includes a`movable element or piston-rod 3|, and this piston rod 3| is normallyurged into extended position, (right to left, Fig.

l) by means of a spring 32; and interconnecting the piston rod 3I andthe slide bar 2l is a link 33.

Pivotally mounted at one end, as at 34, upon the upright support I9 is alatch member 35, and carried by the member I6, adjacent the lower endthereof, isa roller 36 which is engageable with one end portion 39 ofthe latch member 35.

Carried by the slide bar 2l is a roller 3l and the latch member 35 has acam edge 38 which is engageable with this roller 31, for a reason to beexplained presently.

Pivotally mounted on the upright supporting wall I9, as at 46, is a bellcrank lever 44 which has, at its upper end, a laterally extending arm43, this member 44 having a laterally extending arm 45 at its lower end.

Provided in the bottom edge of the slide bar 2I is a notch 48, and theslide bar 2I includes a cam portion 49 which is arranged between thenotch 48 and the recess or cut-out portion 23 (Fig. 1).

The switch 29 is arranged in an electrical circuit, generally indicate-dat 40 (Fig. 4), and which may include any instrumentality or device,generally indicated at 4I, which it may be desired to control or operateby the closing of the switch 29. Likewise embodied in the circuit 40 issuitable source of current 42 which may be, for example, a battery ofdry cells arranged in the cabinet II.

Operation When the coin slide I3 is pushed in (right to left, Fig. 1)the inner end portion I4 of the same engages the upper end portion I5 ofthe member I6, thereby pivoting the latter, at I'I (counterclockwise,Fig. 1) against the action of the coil spring I8, and thus tensioningthe latter.

During this operation the lower end portion 47 of the memberv I6 engagesthe roller 3l, which is carried by the slide bar 2|, thereby shiftingthe slide bar 2! (left to right, from full to .dotted line position,Fig. l). During this operation, the pawl 24 rides out of the recessed ornotched portion 23 of the slide bar 2l and into the notch 48 and whenthe pavvl 24 is in this position, that is, engaged in the notch 48, thearm 21 thereof is disposed, relative to the contact 28, in position tomaintain the switch 28 open, (as in Fig. 4).

When the slide bar 2i is thus moved (left to right, Fig. l) it acts,through the link 33, to sluit the piston-rod 3i (left to right, Fig. 1)relative to the cylinder 5l of the dash pot 35, thereby tensioning theresetting spring 32. Accordingly, when the coin slide i3-4 is returnedto its initial position (as in Fig. l) by means oi its resetting spring(not shown), the pivotal member I6 is pivoted back into its initialposition (as in Fig. l) by means of the resetting spring I8. Thetensioned resetting spring 32 then returns the piston rod 3l and theslide bar 2l back into their initial positions (right to left, Fig. l)against the action ci the dash pot Sil-3l, which times the speed andduration of this return movement of the slide bar 2 i and during thisreturn movement of the slide bar 2l the pawl 24 rides out of the notch4S, which is formed in the bottom edge of the slide bar 2|, and isengaged by the cam edge il@ of the slide bar 2i, which thereupon pivotsthe pawl 24 (counterclockwise, Fig. 1) against the action of the spring26, and during this operation, that is, when the pawl 2li is pivoted(counterclockwise, Figs. l and 4), the arm 21 thereof engages thecontact and pivots the same into position to close the switch 29; andthe closing of this switch 29 may be employed for controlling theoperation of any desired mechanism such, for example, as the operatingmechanism of a game apparatus, it being noted that the arm 21 of thepawl 24 is held in position to close the switch 29 only during the time(when the slide bar 2i is moving from right to leit, Fig. 1) that thecam edge 49 of the slide bar 2i is disposed in engagement with the pawl24, during the return movement of the slide bar 2|.

When the coin slide l3-l4 is pushed in (right to left, Fig. 1), and thepivotal member IS-i is thereby pivoted (counterclockwise, Fig. l), thearm 43 of the member 44, which normally bears, by gravity, upon theupper edge oi the member E6, (as seen in Fig. l) pivots at 45,(clockwise, Fig. l), and when the sli-de bar 2l, during its movementfrom left to right, Fig. 1, passes the angled arm 45 of the member 44,the said angled arm 45 of the member 45 drops, by gravity, down in fronto the end 5E! of the slide bar 2i (left hand end as seen in Fig. l),thereby preventing the slide bar 2i from being returned to its normal orinitial position until the coin slide i3 is retracted and the member i5is returned to its initial position, whereupon the member l5 will engagethe angled arm 43 of the member 44 and thereby pivot the same at 45(counterclockwise, Fig. l), thus moving the angled arm 45 of the member4d out of alignment or engagement with the end 55 of the sli-de bar 2l.

The cam portion of the latch member 35 normally bears upon the roller31, which is carried by the slide bar 2i, and the latch member 35 isthus heldin raised or full line position, (Fig. l). However, when theslide bar 2l is moved (left to right, Fig. l), (by the coaction of thecoin slide iti-54, member l5, and the engagement of the lower endportion 41 of the member i5 with the roller 31) the roller 31 is movedout of engagement or alignment with the cam portion 38 of the latchmember 35, and the latter pivots, by gravity, into dotted line position,Fig. l; and when the latch member 35 is in this position, (as in dottedlines, Fig. 1), it prevents operation of the member i6, since if anattempt is vmade to operate the member I6 when the latch member 35 isdisposed in effective position (as in dotted lines, Fig. l), the camroller 36 will engage against the end portion 39 of the latch member 35and the member I6 and coin slide I3 will thus be prevented from beingmoved into effective position, it being noted that when the latch member35 is in raised position (as in full lines, Fig. l), the member l-lG andcoin slide i3 may be operated, since in this position of the parts thecam roller 35 may be moved around and under the end portion 39 oi thelatch member 35.

When the slide bar 2l is returned to its normal or initial position (asin full lines, Fig. l) the cani roller 31 carried thereby engages underthe cam edge 38 of the latch member 35 and thereby pivots the latter, at--.o its normal or raised position (as in full lines, Fig. l), and inwhich position of the latch member 35 the member l5-3 and the coin slidei3 may again be operated.

It will thus be noted that the latch member 35-38-39 prevents theactuating member or coin slide iii- HL which controls the operatingmechanism of the apparatus, comprising the slide bar 2i, pavvl Eil-2l,and switch 29, from being operated a se Xnd time before the saidoperating mechanic has completed a full str-oke, once the same has beenoperated, that is, the slide bar 2! must be moved to full strokeposition (left to right, from full to dotted line position, Fig. l), andreturned to its initial position, before a second operation oi the coinslide i3 and member i5 may be made, and in this manner fraudulentoperation of the switch 2S and the mechanism 4l controlled thereby,through the medium of the coin slide i3, is prevented; that is, byreason of 'the device thus provided the pawl 24-21 may be operated onlyonce, and the switch 29 closed only once, for each operation of the coinslide i3, and fraudulent closing of the switch 2! by holding the siidein or jiggling the slide 3, that is, moving the same in and partiallyout after a coin has been inserted into the coin aperture of the slideand the latter is actuated, is prevented.

While I have illustrated and described the preierred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modication, Without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails oi construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

i. Switch control mechanism comprising: an operating arm pivoted Aformovement from an idle position through an operating stroke and havingmeans for returning the same to said idle position; a plate slidablefrom an idle to a set position by said arm upon the movement of thelatter in its operating stroke; means for effecting slow return movementof said plate from set position to idle position; switch means andoperating mechanism therefor operable by movement of said plate, andmeans released by said arm during the operating stroke thereof forpreventing switch-operating movement of the said plate back to idleposition, and until said operating arm is returned to idle position.

2. Switch mechanism including a switch, an operating pawl therefor, anactuating slide, a lever pivotable from an initial to an advancedposition by said slide, a second and reciprocable slide movable by saidlever from an initial to an advanced position for operative engagementwith said pawl, said slide being adapted to drive said pawl upon returnmovement to initial position and thereby actuate said switch, meansnormally urging said second slide into initial position, together withlatch means including a stop member released for movement into blockreturn movement of the second slide when said lever is moved out of itsinitial position, said stop member being movable out of blockingposition by said lever upon its return to initial position, and a secondstop member movable into position to prevent the return of said leverfrom advanced to initial position when said second slide is in asubstantially advanced position, said second stop member being movedinto ineffective position by said second slide upon return to the latterinitial position as aforesaid.

3. A full stroke control mechanism including a reciprccable actuatingmember, a reciprocable slide, a pawl operable by said slide when thesame is rnoved in one direction, switch means operable by said pawl, alever movable from a normal position by said actuating member to movesaid slide in one direction out of normal position, means yieldinglyholding said lever in normal position, yieldable means urging said slideinto itsl said normal position, together with means cooperable with saidslide to latch said lever against movement back to normal position untilsaid slide has returned to normal position.

4. A full stroke control mechanism including a reciprocable actuatingmember, an operating plate mounted for reciprocatory movement, a pawloperable by said plate when the latter is moved in one direction, switchmeans operable by said pawl, means yieldably urging said plate into anormal position, a lever engageable by said actuating member andoperable thereby to move said plate out of said normal position, meansyieldingly urging said lever into a normal position for operativeengagement with said plate when the latter is in normal position,together with latch means operable to hold said plate against return tonormal position as aforesaid until said lever has returned to its saidnormal position.

5. Control mechanism comprising a slide arm, means mounting said arm forreciprocatory movement, means for moving said slide into a normalposition, the slide having a cam edge and a recess at one side of thesame, a switch and an operating pawl therefor, said slide being movableout of said normal position to position said recess for operativeengagement with said pawl,

the latter being operated when said slide returns thereafter to normalposition, an operating lever pivoted between its ends, yieldable meansholding said lever in a normal position for engagement of one of itsends with said slide when the latter is in normal position as aforesaid,said lever being pivotable from normal position to move said slide outof its normal position to engage said pawl, stop means in the form of abell crank movable by gravity to position one of its arms intomovement-blocking relation with said slide, the other arm of said crankbeing engaged by said lever when the latter is in normal position topivot the bell crank out of blocking position, and a second stop meansincluding a pivoted arm having an end movable into position to blockmovement ci said lever back to normal position When said slide is movedout of normal position, said slide being operable to pivot said arm outof blocking position by movement back to normal position.

6. Co-ntrol mechanism including a reciprocableactuating member, areciprocable slide having a cam edge fianked by a recess, meansyieldingly urging said slide into a normal position, a control deviceincluding an actuating pawl operable by said slide, means normallypositioning said pawl for operative engagement by the recess in saidslide by movement of the latter out of its normal position, areciprocable lever movable in one direction to engage and move saidslide out of normal position to engage the pawl as aforesaid, stop meansmovable into position to block the return movement of said slide towardnormal position so as to prevent operation of said pawl, and meansoperable by said lever during its return movement to move said stopmeans out of blocking position,

7. Control mechanism including a switch, a pawl movable to operate theswitch, a reciprocable slide, means including a reciprocable lever foradvancing the slide from an initial position into operative engagementwith the pawl, means for returning said slide to said initial positionto operate said pawl, means for retarding the return movement of saidslide, stop means automatically movable into position to block thereturn movement of said slide after the latter has been advanced apredetermined distance from said initial position, means for returningsaid lever to a starting position independently of said slide, togetherwith means including a bell crank operable by said lever to move saidstop means out of locking position when the lever has been returned apredetermined distance toward said starting position.

8. A full stroke switch-operating mechanism including a switch, a pawlmovable to operate the switch, means yieldingly holding the pawl out ofswitch-operating position, a first reciprocable member movable in onedirection into operative engagement with the pawl and movable in anopposite direction to move the pawl and opcrate said switch, meansnormally urging said rst reciprocable member out of operative engagementwith said pawl, a second reciprocable member movable from an initialposition in one direction to move said first reciprocable member intopawl engaging position, means for returning said second reciprocablemember to initial position, together with latch means automaticallyoperable when said second reciprocable member is moved from initialposition to latch said first reciprocable member against retrogrademovement until said second member is returned to initial position, andlatch means operable by said iirst reciprocable member while the same isin switch-operating position to latch the second reciprocable memberagainst return to initial position.

DAVID C. ROCKOLA.

